The swift evolution of blockchain technology has given rise to the groundbreaking concept of autonomous worlds. These self-sustaining, decentralized ecosystems can usher in a digital revolution in terms of interactivity and transactions. By harnessing blockchain technology, autonomous worlds are paving the way for unprecedented levels of immersion, ownership, and community-led innovation in virtual spaces.
Pivotal to the concept of Autonomous Worlds is the idea that every component within the world operates under a unified set of rules and exists within a cohesive narrative. Among Web2 virtual environments, external influences like centralized servers and corporate agendas shape the user experience. Blockchain networks now offer a transformative framework for crafting fully autonomous worlds with rigid boundaries. Through smart contracts and decentralized ledgers, these environments enforce a transparent, rule-based system that governs all in-world interactions. As more attention shifts toward autonomous worlds, the implications on the future of Web3 community and gaming may turn out to be immense.
Fully On-Chain Games (FOCG)
Within autonomous worlds, users gain genuine ownership of their digital assets which are safeguarded by blockchain security and immutability. This fosters dynamic in-world economies where virtual items and currencies hold tangible value, enabling seamless trading and exchange across both digital and real-world markets. Such a dynamic applies naturally to game development, and that’s why there has been a rise in FOGCs (fully on-chain games).
FOCGs stand out by being entirely built on blockchain networks, as they record internal game logic, mechanics, and states permanently on the blockchain. This leads to decentralized and permissionless games that can exist indefinitely, governed solely by their coded rules. A key advantage of FOCGs is the potential to drive business model innovation, enabling the creation of enhanced gaming features and experiences by simply changing or “forking” certain aspects of the original code. They allow for monetization through user-generated content, opening up unlimited potential for creative innovation and the development of diverse gameplay.
Advantages of FOCG
Modding - One of the biggest benefits of autonomous world games is that they enable the most optimized form of modding. Modding refers to the creation of secondary creative content, such as skins, patches, and mods, which are essentially adjustments or tweaks made to an existing game to enhance or alter its gameplay. These mods are developed by ordinary users, known as modders, rather than the game's creators. The scope of modding is extensive, ranging from the customization of characters and game objects to the creation of additional content, such as DLCs that unlock new features within the game.
In the current gaming industry, many developers impose restrictions on unauthorized software modifications through user license agreements. Fully on-chain games address these issues. First, they adhere to the principles of the open-source ecosystem, allowing modders to inherit the game's state and engage in modding without dependency or legal risks. Additionally, mechanisms like Canto's Contract Secured Revenue (CSR) enable permissionless financial incentives. FOCGs offer a much broader scope for modding because all game logic is transparent and accessible.
Immersion - Fun is a crucial aspect of gaming, and a significant advantage of FOCGs is the excitement of unexpected gameplay enabled by modding. Furthermore, by placing all game elements on the blockchain, the game can leverage the network’s permanence and immutability to create a more realistic and engaging experience. Ownership of in-game assets create stronger emotional connections and builds financial incentivization. While hardware formats like VR enhance immersion through sensory perception, FOCGs can promote immersion through permanence, ownership, and economic rewards.
Challenges of Autonomous Worlds
The challenge of implementing fully on-chain games lies in the limitations of blockchain technology, particularly its throughput constraints. Blockchains, while useful for recording and processing transactions, cannot handle as many transactions simultaneously as centralized databases, making them less suitable for games requiring extreme synchronization, such as first-person shooters or MOBA titles.
To address this, scalability solutions like ZK technology, Layer 2, Layer 3, and AltLayer have been proposed. These solutions aim to enhance transaction capacity without significantly increasing the load on the main chain. However, even with these advancements, blockchain's throughput remains a bottleneck for high-transaction games. Fully on-chain games are better suited for games that can manage transactions asynchronously or process them in batches. Such projects do not require constant, real-time interaction for each transaction, allowing them to leverage blockchain's capabilities more effectively. For example, games with limited moves per turn or where social interactions do not demand constant updates may be more feasible.
The user experience for fully on-chain games is another critical consideration. While platforms like Steam offer extensive features, replicating such an experience on blockchain requires improvements in areas like session keys, batch transactions, and embedded wallets. Current infrastructure is lacking, but Web3 framework protocols are in development to address these games. In summary, FOCGs face challenges due to throughput limitations and scalability issues. However, games that can handle transactions asynchronously or in batches, along with improvements in developer and user experience infrastructure, may find better success on blockchain.
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